Chapter 2: Vlad Finds Out

Vlad's POV:

"Ready as I ever will be dad," River said to me. I started the course and saw her run through it. She was flawless when it came to her flying, had perfect aiming when it came to the targets, was able to focus her ice powers on the appropriate target and her fire powers on the other targets as well, and saw her to be able to duplicate herself into three without a problem, and lastly, saw her practice her ecto-kinesis. She was able to master that art, but I always challenged her. This time, she had to move a 200 lb. boulder from one spot to the X that I drew on the ground for her. She had little trouble moving the boulder. I smiled at her and was proud to see her improve. She then transformed back into her human half.

"Good job River. It looks like that I am going to have to make the boulder heavier next time for you."

"It looks like it, dad. I can still easily move it. Well, I am sweating. Do you mind that I go and take a shower?"

"Go ahead my dear. I will be waiting for you in the dining room with dinner for you. One thing that I do have to say, you are the perfect daughter any person can ask for. You are kind, courteous, caring, and just downright beautiful. I am glad that I have you as a daughter, but it saddens me to know that I only see you once a week. When will you move in with me?" I wanted River to move in with me so that I can take care of her like a father should. I did not want her on the streets all by herself. I know that she must be taking care of herself with the money that I have been giving her monthly.

"Like I said dad, I will move in with you when my personal matters are taken care of. I just have two things to take care of and when they are done, I will come and live with you. I promise."

"Thank you my dear. Now go and take a shower. I will see you at dinner." I saw both River and Jasmine walk away from my lab. I decided to duplicate myself and told my duplicate to follow River and Jasmine and to report to me if Jasmine did anything funny to her.

Jazz's POV:

I followed River until she we arrived at the bathroom. What I saw was a massive bathroom. The bathroom had to be at least 12'x12'. I saw River get undressed and I saw her wearing a corset, bra, and a pair of panties. I was surprised when River took off the corset, she still maintained the figure that she had when it was removed. She also removed the voice modulator.

"Okay, Danny, what game are you playing with Vlad?" I asked being serious.

"I am not playing any games at all and I actually did mean of what I said to Vlad. As soon as I take care of two matters that needed to be taken care of, I was going to move in with him." I looked at him with a disbelief look. I could not believe it.

"Danny, you are aware that this is the person who has tried to kill you on numerous times, not to mention dad, and tried to make our mom his wife countless times," I said ranting. I noticed that Danny went in the tub with the suit that he had on.

"Uh, Danny, are you going to take off that suit?" I asked him.

"No. The water is able to go through the suit completely and touch my real skin. Sometimes when I wear the suit, I forget that I am even wearing it. To me, it feels like my real skin. Jazz, I really want to look like this, I really do, but I do not know how to break it to mom or dad. I am pretty sure that they will not understand at all and I know for a fact that if I tell my friends, Sam and Tucker, the truth, they may not want to be my friends anymore." I was in shock of what he told me. Then I remembered back to what Vlad told him that River was his daughter.

"Uh, Danny, maybe you can explain this to me, but are you really Vlad's daughter and are you really the princess of the Ghost Zone?" I wanted to know.

"Technically and legally, yes I am Vlad's daughter and yes I am the princess of the Ghost Zone. I can tell you how I became Vlad's daughter, even though I am a boy in a suit. It actually started when I was seven. I was starting to get curious about everything. The clothes that I was wearing, the food that I was eating, places that I visited with our parents, people that I met, and almost everything in general. It was the clothes that got me really curious. I thought that clothes that boys bought were the same as the girls, so one day I went into your room and put on some of your clothes. When I put them on, it felt different to me, but at the same time also felt like the clothes that I had to wear. It was when I was seven that I started to wear more girl clothes in secret." I could not believe it. So that is why some of my clothes were sometimes stretched out.

"I dressed up in secret for years. I continued to do it in practice until I was 10. You along with mom and dad went out to go do something for a couple of hours and I went out the first time dressed out as girl. I was confident enough that no one was going to recognize me due to what I was wearing. When I was out walking, no one even batted an eye. I was happy. As I was walking around, I noticed a car that crashed on the outskirts of town. I ran towards it and saw a girl along with her father. I looked in the car and noticed that the girl looked like me in my female form. The girl was still alive but her dad was already long gone. She was barely breathing, but I was able to get her out of the car. She was conscious for at least an hour. I asked her what her name was and where her mother was. She told me that her name was River and that her mother died during child birth. I tried to make sure that she stayed alive, but I was unable to. I felt said for her so I took her. I called the police and told them what happened. They arrived at the scene where the crash was and saw me and the little girl. They both assumed that I was her sister, but I told them that they were wrong. I was just a person that just happened to walk by. They were able to keep the girl alive, but her dad was already dad. She found me a week later and saw how I looked like her. I told her the truth about me and what I wanted to be. She said that there was a way for me to be who I wanted to be and for her to get her wish as well."

"What was her wish Danny? I want to know." I continued to listen to Danny tell me what happened.

"She said that she did not want to live anymore and that I could take her life. I told her that she did not have to do that at all, but she surprised me when she took a knife out from her pocket and slit her own throat. I knelt down trying to stop the bleeding, but it was too late. Before she slit her throat, she told me to bury her right next to the tree where her dad died. I did not want to do it, but I felt sad for her. I followed her wishes and buried her next to the tree. I dug a hole so deep so that it would not attract any attention at all. Ever since then, I used the name River as my female persona to both honor her and to remember her by. I swore to myself that I would never forget her." I was crying from what Danny told me. It was heartbreaking. Danny was getting out of the tub getting himself ready for dinner with Vlad, his dad apparently.

"You still did not answer my question. Why is Vlad your dad when you are dressed up as your female persona?" I tried to fight back some of the tears that were on my face.

"The reason why I chose Vlad to be my dad when I am dressed up as a girl is because he is not an idiot like Jack. He actually cares about me. Mom never paid any attention to me whatsoever, Vlad did. They never asked how I was doing. Vlad always asked what was wrong." I just smiled down at Danny. Those were good reasons. Mom and dad rarely ever took care of Danny. Danny always had to fend for himself in some form or fashion.

"Okay, next question then. When did you decide to have Vlad as a dad?" I wanted to know as much as possible. I wanted to be able to help out Danny as much as possible.

"It was a month after I received my ghost powers from our parents Ghost Portal. I was shocked by it and I noticed that I was inexperienced with my powers. So, when I fought against Plasmius, I found out that he was also half-human as well. I then took my opportunity. I grabbed the suit that I was able to make at the time and put it on. I grabbed some tattered clothes and put them on and waited until it rained outside. I walked up to Vlad's mansion that he built here in Amity Park and told him the story about how my 'parent's' died and he believed me. It was three weeks after that did he adopt me as his daughter and kept it secret. He did not want anyone to know that I was his daughter. When I arrived at his place by the fourth week, I pretended to get shocked and said that I was fine. Vlad saw me and noticed that I had ghost powers. Ever since then, Vlad has been training me on how I can use my powers. I also found out in that same week, he was able to defeat Pariah Dark in hand -to-hand combat. Pariah Dark yielded and was named the new Ghost King. I was brought into the realm and I was introduced as the princess of the Ghost Zone. I felt a little giddy when I was given that title." I noticed Danny getting dressed as he continued to talk to me. He then put on his voice modulator and his voice went back to the angelic girl voice that I heard earlier.

"Well come on, Jasmine. Let's go and get something to eat." What I did not know was that Vlad was outside of the bathroom door and heard everything.

Vlad's POV:

I was standing outside of the bathroom door and I heard everything that River said. I could not believe of what I heard. River was Danny. I was shocked. She, I mean he, fooled me, but when I heard why she, I mean, he wanted me as dad, I was actually touched. I had to tell her that I overheard. I went to the dining room before she got out of the bathroom. My servants were able to set the table as I arrived.

"Good my servants. Prepare one more plate setting as I will be having a guest with us tonight." I went ahead and sat down at the head of the table and waited only for a couple of minutes to be joined by River and Jazz. I looked over at River and could not believe that is Danny. I shook the thought out of my mind.

"So, River, my dear, I have something to tell you after dinner. It affects the both of us."

"Okay dad." I smiled each and every time that she called me dad. I liked it, but knowing that girl is Danny in a suit, I had to choose my words carefully. As dinner was served, we exchanged some conversation over dinner. Even though Danny was in a female suit, I had to admit, he demonstrates perfect manners that a girl at his age should have. He seemed to act more like a girl than he does a boy. As we all finished our dinner, I spoke up.

"Jazz, can you please leave the room. I wish to speak to my daughter alone." Jazz got up from the table and left the room.

"So River, or should I say Daniel, please tell me, why have you decided to live like this?"

Danny's (River's) POV:

I was surprised at what Vlad said. How did he find out that I was Danny? I spoke up and answered his question with the voice modulator still on.

"The reason why I have decided to live like this Vlad is because I am tired of my parent's house. I have loved coming here each and every week being your daughter. I did not mean to fool you at all Vlad." I did not pay attention at all when Vlad stood up from the table and was standing behind me.

"I do not blame you, Danny, I really don't. I have come to like you as a daughter, which now I must admit feels kind of awkward as of this current moment, but my offer still stands for River. She can come in and live with me. I also overheard the two matters that you said that you needed to take care of first. I will wait until you tell your parents and your friends."

"Thank you so much dad. I have actually started to like to call you dad. It feels normal to me to call you that instead of Vlad." I smiled down and hugged Daniel, I mean River, before she had to leave.

"Remember my dear, as soon as you take care of those two matters, I expect you to come home. I do not want my daughter out there without proper supervision." I smiled as Danny left. I noticed that he has started to act more feminine in his female persona. I had to do something to help him to become the girl that he is supposed to be. I went to my lab and I started to do some research for my next invention.